BON 2014: Amaechi lauds Nollywood

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has praised the Nigerian motion picture industry for what he described as its pivotal role in the nation’s economy.

Amaechi, who spoke at the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, which held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, last Thursday, noted that not only did Nollywood start as a protest literature by addressing social issues, but it also provided employment for several people in the movie production chain.

But a report purportedly saying that the governor insulted Nollywood practitioners who trained in other professional areas has now gone viral in the social media.

The governor, who arrived Port Harcourt for the awards ceremony that evening from his trip to Abuja, where General Muhammadu Buhari had declared interest as APC 2015 presidential aspirant the previous day, had just presented Recognition Awards to veteran artistes such as Liz Benson-Ameye, Nobert Young, Kasimu Yero and Adebayo Salami, when he was asked to give his speech on the occasion.

“Let me say, first and foremost, that this organisation is entirely that of BON Awards…” As if the governor knew that his speech might be misrepresented, he said: “If you were not my friends, we probably wouldn’t have had this hall for use, as some government officials had fixed a dinner or cocktail here this evening before I arrived. But I told them to move it to the other side.” This statement was greeted with thunderous applause.

Amaechi went further to state how Nollywood had rescued the Nigerian economy, by employing hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths who, despite their qualifications, may have remained jobless because of the unemployment challenge in Nigeria. Speaking interactively, the governor had asked the audience at each point, if they agreed with his analysis.

Corroborating his remarks, popular entertainer, Okey Bakassi, confessed he is an Agricultural Engineering graduate of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. This threw the hall into another round of laughter.

The governor then recalled a recent conversation between actress Kate Henshaw and her colleague, Basorge Tariah Jnr., on how they both used to trek the streets in search of jobs and how Nollywood became the saving grace.

He then delved into a similar challenge in the banking sector, where a good number of female staff are employed for marketing, noting that such system had been promoting prostitution indirectly.

He said: “If you look at the Nollywood industry, it first started as a protest literature, an expression by the people that we are tired of the current leadership in Nigeria. We need change. Then, funding of the industry became a problem. The Onitsha traders who began to fund these films now determined what kind of contents that were made. At that point, it was no longer about protest literature… So, they began to explore stories about witchcraft. I stopped watching at that time. But here now, I watched The Meeting (movie produced by Rita Dominic), which again was another protest work of art… In the film, we saw a Minister who was abusing his office; you saw the professor waiting and you saw the whole community of people who tried to see him. But to be able to do so, they have to corrupt the secretary… Our films must continue to explore social issues.”

He, therefore, urged practitioners to look into producing more movies that will address social messages rather than allowing political interest to becloud their works, saying they owe the country that duty as her heroes.

“Nollywood is important to me, as it is important to the Nigerian economy. From Kenneth Okonkwo, who has joined politics, to the producers of The Meeting, there is an underlying message, which is the inability of Nigerian elite to lead Nigeria out of the comatose that we found ourselves,” he said. He added that even where jobs are available, the civil service, for example, sometimes does not employ people based on merit.

The governor then said he had contracted veteran actress Joke Silva to produce into a movie the popular Chinue Achebe’s book, Man of The People, which he said is another socially relevant classic.

The main categories of the awards gave accolades to the like of Iyabo Ojo whose movie, Silence, clinched the Movie of The Year diadem, while Ivie Okujaye and Tope Tedela won the Best Actress and Best Actor respectively.

While Desmond Elliot won the Amaka Igwe Director of The Year for the movie, Apaye, Femi Jacobs and Rita Dominic clinched Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively

Others include Yinka Quadri, who won the Best Actor in the Leading Role (Yoruba) award while Ayo Adesanya picked the Best Supporting Actress (Yoruba) honour. Abdulateef Adedeji and Ijeoma Agu won the Most Promising Actor and Actress; Daniel K Daniel and Linda Ejifor picked Revelation of The Year Male and Female; Olamide Davids’ performance in Black Silhouette fetched him the Best Child Actor, even as Priscilla Ojo, Iyabo Ojo’s daughter won the Best Child Actress laurel.

Also rewarded are Best Kiss In A Movie-Majid Michel and Beverly Naya (Forgetting June); Movie with the Best Social Message (Our Difference); Movie with the Best Special Effect (A Mile From Home); Best Use of Make Up (Cobra); Best Use of Food (Being Mrs Elliot), Best Sound (Render To Ceaser), Best Production Design (Osunfunke) and Best Short Film (Brave).

Others are Best Comedy Movie of the Year (30 Days In Atlanta); Best Cinematography (Apaye); Best Screenplay (Render To Ceaser); Best Documentary (Fatai Rolling Dollar); Best Edited Movie (A Mile From Home); and Best TV Series (Lekki Wives).